Organizing for Retakes

Sunday, June 9, 2013

In Math, I allow my smarties a chance to retake sections of their test that they have done poorly on. I grade tests according to our curriculum standards, instead of just giving them a single grade. It has been tough this year with the introduction to the Common Core, and I've kind of had to hodge podge my way through, but with the year under my belt, I'll have the system much more organized next year.
So today I'm linking up with Kristen and Elizabeth to share an Organizing Tip.

When my smarties have to prepare or retake assessments, they are always looking for extra practice problems, so I use this file system to hold papers for each lesson.

Our math units are divided up into 6 lessons per topic. In each section I put additional practice problems that I have created or found in other workbooks or TpT. There is a self checking answer key section in the back so that my students can come in and check work during a studyhall. Then, if they have any questions I can help them work through the problems they missed.
I used to use a crate that sat on top of a table in the front of my room, but it was big and bulky and always getting moved. Over this past weekend I found this at Target:

I really love this file case. It is sleek and classic, and best of all it does this:

A NET!! As in...... I teach surface area and now have ANOTHER real world example to measure! and what is awesome is that they will have to calculate the surface area MINUS the top.. it adds a level of differentiation! So excited! My smarties loved the surface area lab I did this year. If you want to learn more about it, you can go {HERE} or {HERE} is where we put info into our Interactive Notebooks

Even if you don't allow retakes, or have another place for extra practice sheets, using a file box like this is great to organize papers for students instead of a standard mailbox. I know a lot of people hold papers and pass them back on a certain day of the week. I don't do that in middle school having 90 math students to keep track of, but I was thinking of getting another box to place homework or other papers I return when students are absent. I'll label them by the periods I teach. Then when a student is absent they can go to the file box to get class notes, homework, notices, returned papers, etc. Right now those papers are clipped to one of my magnetic walls, but that is a problem when my walls fill up with anchor charts.
One other Organization MUST for me are Post-it TABS... Have you discovered these? LOVE them!

Do you have an Organization Tip or Trick? Head over and visit Kristen or Elizabeth and share your ideas. Summer is a great time to be organized!

Oh Michele, this is awesome!! I was looking to get a box for those weekly papers 'cause we hand ours out on Wednesdays and this box will be perfect! Thanks so much for sharing and for linking up with us :) :)

What a great way to keep all of your papers organized! I really need a better system for missing work and for students who are absent. This might be the solution! I love the tabs, too :) Thanks for linking up with us :)